Stale Crackers
by MTrav5512
Summary: What happened right after Tonks professed her love and Remus turned her down. Half Blood Prince. I might continue if enough people like it. For now, its just a ONE SHOT. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Tonks rushed out of the hospital room and into the hallway, tears starting to spill from her eyes. She felt like such a fool. 'How could I have just thrown everything out there in front of everyone like that?' she asked herself.

She heard the door opening and quickly, without much thought, disapparated to the one place she felt she could truly be alone with her feelings and just mope: Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

When she arrived at the doorstop she quickly made her way in, past the deterrents set up to ward off anyone looking to cause harm or trouble to the occupants. It was so dark and musky smelling but Tonks didn't care. She wanted to be completely alone.

She wandered around the downstairs, finding herself heading to the kitchen. She opened a couple of the cabinets and found a box of crackers. She took it out and sat down at the table, opening up the package. The crackers were a bit stale but still edible. She ate a few before deciding that she was no longer hungry. She pushed the box aside and just stared straight ahead.

"Oh Sirius you git.. you are probably enjoying this aren't you? What made me think it was ok to do that?" she said aloud. "Maybe you could have talked some sense into that werewolf friend of yours…I just laid everything out, in front of everyone too. I have never been more embarrassed in all of my life. I really wish you were here. Even if just to laugh at me."

The sudden pop of someone apparating into the hallway made her jump nearly out of her skin. She pulled her wand out and had it at the ready to defend herself if needed.

She got up out of her chair and slowly headed to the door. "Who's there?" she called out, her wand straight out in front of her.

"Its only me, Nymphadora," came a familiar voice but one she particularly didn't care to hear at this moment. Remus.

"Don't call me that. And why are you here?" she asked, lowering her wand and peeking out into the hallway.

"I just knew you might be here. I came out into the hallway but you were gone," Remus started.

"Why did you come here? You made yourself pretty clear back at the hospital. And thanks for doing it in front of everyone. I've never been more mortified in my entire life."

"Nym….. Dora… Please. Can we just talk?" he asked her.

"About what? What is left to talk about? Dumbledore is dead… and you want nothing to do with me. You're too old…. too sick….too poor… Blah, blah, blah. Did I cover it all? Or is there something else I missed and you wanted to come tell me?" Tonks was almost spitting the words out at him.

"Dora please…" his nickname for her when she refused to allow him to call her by her full first name. It usually made her feel all tingly inside but now it had her seething mad.

"Don't you 'Dora' me. You don't get to. I gave you the option, I put everything out there in front of everybody and you made yourself perfectly clear how you really felt."

Remus came at her quickly, no time for her to react, and kissed her roughly on the lips. Tonks jumped back, swiping at him. "What the hell was that for?"

"Please… I'm sorry. Nymphadora. Dora. Please," Remus pleaded with her.

"Please what? You had your chance back there. You turned me down at my most vulnerable. You made me feel like a fool. You don't just get to change your mind suddenly."

"I'm the fool," Remus spoke, stepping closer to her, taking her hand in both of his. They were warm and hers had been cold from the drafty old house. "I was scared. You honestly do deserve so much better than me. I can't offer you much of a life at all."

"A life with you is all I wanted. I don't care about money or age or the fact you turn into a hairy beast once a month. You're only 12 years older Remus so at least give yourself a break. I've never been a materialistic girl and you being a werewolf doesn't scare me away. A life with you sounds down right perfect to me. But what suddenly made you change your mind?" she added at the end, afraid she was forgetting she was still mad at the man.

"Molly came over and had a very stern talk with me," Remus told her. Tonks looked at him a little confused, clearly needing a better explanation. "She grabbed me by the ear, yanked me to the side and said if I didn't go out after you right that moment she was going to unleash her motherly wrath on me and no one could save me. Something like that… And the Weasley children nodded and looked at me with horrified looks so I thought it best to listen to her."

Tonks giggled at the thought. "Well I will have to thank Molly the next time I see her."

"So, can you forgive this old, poor werewolf?" Remus asked, squeezing her hand.

"I don't know Remus, you really made me mad. Truly mad. You had me talking to ghosts."

"Sirius?" Remus asked.

Tonks nodded. "He was probably laughing hysterically at my misery as I sat there eating stale crackers."

"Do you want to come back to my flat? It isn't much but I'm sure we could order a pizza or something?"

"Is it warmer than here? I forgot how drafty this house was."

"We'll start a fire and get it warm in no time. Come Dora," Remus said as he disapparated them both to his flat.


	2. Chapter 2

Remus had been speaking the truth when he said his flat wasn't much. A couch and some furniture stood in the main room as they walked through the door. Remus immediately headed to the fireplace to get a fire going.

Tonks walked around the room, taking in the sights or the lack thereof.

"Yeah sorry I told you it wasn't much. I don't get much company as you can imagine," Remus replied.

"The bachelor pad in all its glory. Don't apologize Remus, it's quite alright my place isn't much better."

"Come sit, warm yourself up," Remus told her, dragging a chair close to the fire.

Tonks nodded and walked over and sat down in the chair, leaning into the fire and rubbing her hands together.

She looked around the place as she did, noting it was perfect for a bachelor but if she was going to be staying here, it needed some feminine touches.

"So the uh…. bedroom is just through there," Remus pointed to an open doorway. "You can take the bed; I'll stay on the couch tonight. I don't want you venturing home after this."

Tonks gave him a look and a sly smile crept across her face. "What? Is the bed not big enough for two people? Do you have a single?"

Remus hadn't been prepared for that question and he blinked a few times, wondering if she was asking what he thought she was.

"Well I mean… yes… it is big enough, it's a king size bed. But I just figured you would be more comfortable.. that is you wouldn't want me to …. I didn't want to assume…" Remus found himself stuttering like a young high school boy on a first date.

"A king bed is plenty of room for two. Please don't stay on the couch tonight, Remus. I need you next to me and I think you need me there with you too."

Remus nodded his head. "So how about that pizza?"

"I don't know about you but I'm really not entirely all that hungry. Maybe it's just the events of today… I just can't seem to process it all right now either," Tonks replied. She got up and went to sit down next to Remus on the couch, leaning her head against his shoulder. He instinctively put his arm around her, kissing her forehead as he did.

"I don't know how I got so lucky to find a woman like you," he told her.

"Well you know, not a lot of people would put up with you," Tonks said with a laugh.

"I could say the same for you there. Clumsiness isn't a trait most men look for in a mate," Remus responded back.

"Hey now!" Tonks said, sitting up and looking at him.

"But thankfully I find it to be a rather big turn on," he added.

Tonks rolled her eyes at him. "Uh huh, sure. Whatever you say."

"We could go to the bedroom and I can show you if you don't believe me?," he suggested.

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Alright Remus Lupin, make a believer out of me," she said as she stood up, reaching for his hand.

The next morning, Lupin opened his eyes as the sun started to peek through the window. It took him a moment to adjust but then he felt Tonks head on his chest and he smiled, remembering the previous evening's events. He lay there for a while, just listening to the sound of her breathing as she was still in a deep sleep. Nothing else mattered in that moment; he could have lain there all day with her.

A bit later Tonks started to stir and her eyes fluttered open, noticing Remus staring at her. "Well good morning, you."

"Good morning to you as well my love. And thanks to you, it sure is," Remus said kissing her lips.

"So now what do we do?" Tonks asked.

"Stay in bed all day?" he asked back.

"That would be great but I mean, now with Dumbledore gone… I'm sure we'll be called in soon for something. I'm surprised we haven't yet to be honest. Maybe we should get dressed….. Except I have nothing here but what I came in last night.."

"We could shower here and I can take you home to get some clothes if you like?" Remus suggested. He wasn't about to let her out of his sight.

Just then a pecking sound came at the window and Remus looked over to see an owl waiting. "Hold that thought."

Remus got up and walked over, opening the window to let the bird in. Attached to its leg was a rolled up piece of parchment. Tonks grabbed some coins from her purse and gave them to the owl for payment. The owl turned around and flew back out the open window as quickly as it had appeared.

Remus unrolled the parchment and started to read it. "It looks like everyone stayed at Hogwarts or the hospital last night. Arrangements are still being finalized for the…. services. Parents have been arriving since late last night, taking their children away. They don't feel it's safe at Hogwarts now. We should probably get ready and head over there and see what we can do."

Tonks nodded her head. "Go hop in the shower first Remus. I would rather just shower at my flat where I can put clean clothes on. It won't take very long. Meet me there when you're done?"

Remus opened his mouth to object. "Remus, I will be fine. I can take care of myself you know. I have been doing it all this time," Tonks reminded him.

"I know and I'm sorry. It's just very uncertain times right now and if anything were to happen to you I just couldn't live with myself."

Tonks' heart melted at his genuine concern. It had been a long time coming that she had hoped for this commitment and this affection from him. "I will go straight home and get ready and then you'll be there soon. Nothing will happen, I promise. Now go," she said, kissing him goodbye as she disapparated to her flat.

She immediately stripped off her dirty clothes and headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. She knew Remus would not be far off so she didn't want to keep him waiting long. She didn't know how right she was when she stepped out of the bathroom in just a towel to see him sitting on her couch.

"Oh hi, I didn't even hear you pop in," she said. "Admiring the view?"

Remus smiled. "Oh yes, very much so."

"Did you even shower?" she asked.

"I did. Us men don't take nearly as much time as you women. What the heck do you do in there anyways?" he asked back.

Tonks giggled. "If you must know, most of it was just spent daydreaming about these cute guy I was snogging last night."

"Who was he? He sounds like a really lucky guy."

"He is and it took him forever to figure it out. I have to remember to thank Molly for scaring that out of you. I really cannot go on without you, Remus. I can't take any more heartbreak."

Remus stood up and walked over to her. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Even though I do think you…"

Tonks shushed him with a kiss on his lips. "Deserve better? There is nothing better than you. Not for me at least. I don't care what anyone else thinks. Your opinion is really the only one that matters."

"Well my opinion is if you don't get dressed soon I'm going to remove that towel and we won't be back at Hogwarts for quite some time," Remus responded.

"Any other time I would drop the towel and drag you to my bedroom but we really should be getting over there. I'm sure the other Order members are wondering why we haven't shown yet."

Tonks disappeared into her bedroom to get dressed, as Remus sat on the couch wondering just how long it would take for her to reappear again.


	3. Chapter 3

Tonks quickly got herself dressed, putting on a bit of makeup and looking at herself in the mirror. She changed her brown silky locks into the hot pink she was used to and decided she would wear it shoulder length today.

She reappeared back in the main room and Remus stood up. "I love that color on you," he told her, kissing her lips.

"I know," was all she said, winking at him. "Shall we? Floo powder or?"

"We won't be able to get into Hogwarts by any means. Our best bet is to use the floo network and get into Hogsmeade and from there we can just head over," Remus suggested.

"That is unless they've shut that down to."

"Only one way to find out. Want me to go first then?" Remus asked, stepping over to her fireplace.

"On top of the mantle in the blue looking urn," Tonks answered, indicating where she kept her floo powder. "And yes, you go on ahead, I'll be right behind you."

Remus grabbed a small handful, spoke the word "Hogsmeade" and disappeared into a green mess of flames.

Tonks counted to 10 slowly before repeating the same, hoping that gave him enough time to get out of the way. She hoped they both ended up in the same spot. The flames quickly engulfed her and she closed her eyes as she felt herself being transported. It was only a quick 20 seconds or so and she came to a stop. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at the familiar sights of The Three Broomsticks.

"Oh good, there you are," Remus said as she stepped out, and saw him standing next to the fireplace.

"I was only a short way behind you," Tonks giggled.

"I know but I thought maybe you might end up somewhere else here. Hogsmeade has many fireplaces."

"I thought of Butterbeer and it brought me here. Not sure if that helped or not but nonetheless, here I am. Ready to head to Hogwarts?" Tonks asked. She brushed off a little dust that had settled on her jacket, reaching for Remus' hand.

"Yes I'm sure everyone is wondering where we are," Remus said taking her hand as the two headed out into the fresh air.

They walked most of the way in silence, never letting go of the other's hand. When they got close to the entrance of Hogwarts they noticed Kingsley waiting there. "Well there you two are. We were starting to get worried," he spoke as they approached.

"Oh yes, sorry. It took a little bit to get moving this morning but we are here now. Is Harry and the others inside?" Remus asked, feeling a bit flustered as he gave his answer.

Kingsley just smirked. "Yes, they are all inside. I've been letting in parents left and right all morning coming to pick up their kids to take them home. They don't think Hogwarts is safe anymore."

"I don't blame them after what happened last night. Let's get inside, Remus. See you in a bit, Kingsley," Tonks commented, pulling Remus along with her as they headed up the way to the castle.

Once inside they found quite a chaotic scene. Parents and kids were all over, dragging luggage and bird cages and other items as they headed to the exits. Tonks and Remus walked into the Great Hall which had been switched to black drapery and looked very dreary. Some kids sat at tables, crying while others huddled in groups, talking in hushed tones.

Tonks spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione towards the front, talking with Hagrid and Minerva. "Well there you two are. I sent an owl to Tonks' place but it came back…. Unanswered," Harry said.

Harry then noticed the two of them holding hands. "Ah so is it safe to assume?"

Tonks beamed from ear to ear. "Yes, Remus stopped being an arse and came to find me last night. I crashed at his place because it was late. I have your mother to thank for that," she said, nodding towards Ron.

"Yeah, Mum can scare anyone into anything." Ron shuddered at the thought.

"I just needed a little shove is all. So how are things here? Your letter stated parents had been coming to take their children home," Remus spoke, getting down to business.

Harry nodded. "All morning long. Some have gone willingly and others have put up a fight. They want to stay for the funeral but the parents just don't think it's safe here now."

"It is about as safe a place as you can get right now," McGonagall added. "Kingsley let you in I see but we have incantations and lock down on every entrance and exit. Guards at every post. No one will be able to sneak up on us."

"So what do we do now?" Tonks asked. "What can we do?"

"Just be here if someone needs to talk. You can help patrol the corridors too if you so wish. We're finalizing the plans for the funeral but we expect many, many people to arrive in the next coming days. The funeral will be in 4 days. It gives everyone enough time to get here," McGonagall answered.

"Happy to help anywhere we can, Minerva," Remus replied.


End file.
